For the second time this year, authorities of the University of Abuja
have shut down the institution following students' protest. Despite
the fact that second semester examination was already underway, the
students' protest which led to major roads and huge traffic congestion
resulted in the institution being shut down.
According to Sahara Reporters, the students went on a rampage to
protest the non-accreditation of some of their courses. The
accreditation panel of the National University Commission had recently
refused to certify some of the courses being run by the university.
Some of the courses are in the Faculty of Engineering, Agriculture and
Sciences.
The protest, which commenced at 6:00 AM, was started by students from
the Faculty of Engineering. Many students soon joined in blocking the
main gate of the school to protest harsh conditions of education and
general mismanagement of the university by officials the students
regard as incompetent and irresponsible.
Some students said the university is in poor condition as inhabitants
of the girls hostel lack of water supply which forces them to fetch
water from the boys hostel. Student leaders of the protest said the
school is also bedeviled with over populated classes, cancelled
lectures, lack of library facilities and lecture halls as well as the
refusal of the school authorities to allow for independent student
union elections.
The protests quickly spread as several students took to the street
just as some of their colleagues began sitting for their first
semester examinations, which ought to start on Monday. The protest led
to the cancellation of examination in various classes slated for the
day as lecturers and invigilators abandoned the two campuses to
safety.
It would be recalled that in April, the management of the institution
closed the University after a violent protest by students resulted in
a breakdown of law and order in the school community.
The students had protested the suspension of four courses offered by
the University - Medicine, Veterinary medicine, Engineering and
Agriculture which failed to get accreditation from the NUC.
It is hoped that the relevant authorities would look into the cause of
protests and find a lasting solution soon. It is bad enough that the
students were so disturbed by the non-accreditation of their courses
and poor standards of education that they had to take their protests
to the streets. Shutting down the University would only result in
wasting useful time and unnecessarily prolong the students stay at the
University.
